posted by RJ Johnson - @rickerthewriter -

Nov 8, 2018

New details are being released about the suspected gunman who killed 12 people in a Southern California bar late Wednesday night.

At a press conference Thursday morning, the Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean identified the shooting suspect as Ian Long, a 28-year-old white male, who was armed with a single handgun and was found dead inside the Borderline Bar and Grill last night. Deputies went to Long's address and are currently conducting a search of the house, Dean said.

Dean identified the gun used by the suspect as a Glock .45 caliber handgun that included an extended magazine - an accessory that is illegal in the state of California. The sheriff said as far as they were aware, the gun purchased by the suspect was done legally.

No motive has been identified by officials so far. The suspect was a discharged Marine Corp Veteran according to sheriff's officials and who had a history of "minor" runs-ins with police. He was on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps from August 2008 to March 2013, according to records from the Department of Defense.

"We don't have any other details to confirm an exact chronology about what happened. We'll provide that to you as we bring all our witness statements together and we feel more comfortable about talking about that," Dean said. "We have no idea what the motive was at this point."

Authorities say they discovered the suspect's body inside an office next to the bar's entrance when they entered.

Eyewitness accounts of the night say the suspect was dressed in all black, wearing a trench coat when he tossed a smoke grenade into the bar before opening fire with his handgun. Shots were still being fired when officers arrived on scene, with one officer, Sgt. Ron Helus, being one of the first people to respond. He was shot multiple times and later declared dead at a local hospital.

Officials say there were somewhere between 8-15 other injuries. Most people were injured while they were trying to escape through windows in the bar.

The FBI is flying in a team from Quantico to help with the investigation, Dean added.

A Moorpark Community College student said he recalls the moment something was wrong at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Malibu.

"The first thing I saw him do was gun down the girl behind the front counter," one witness recounted. "And I saw it happen clear as day and I don't think I'll ever forget that for the rest of my life."

Moorpark Community College is one of several colleges in the area, with many students attending "College Country Night" at the bar. The student says he's still in shock about what happened and that he now wants answers.

"I want to know why this guy came in here and did that. I want to know why he wanted to come in here and hurt people I care about," he added. "It was extremely random, there was no threats, no screaming before it happened, it was just gunfire."

Twelve other people were killed and about a dozen more were injured. Police are still looking for a motive in the shooting.

President Donald Trump tweeted about the incident early Thursday morning in a pair of tweets.

I have been fully briefed on the terrible shooting in California. Law Enforcement and First Responders, together with the FBI, are on scene. 13 people, at this time, have been reported dead. Likewise, the shooter is dead, along with the first police officer to enter the bar.

Great bravery shown by police. California Highway Patrol was on scene within 3 minutes, with first officer to enter shot numerous times. That Sheriff’s Sergeant died in the hospital. God bless all of the victims and families of the victims. Thank you to Law Enforcement.

If you'd like to contribute to a fund dedicated for victims of last night's shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill, the mayor of Thousand Oaks announced that the city has set up a donation link here.